A former Gravesend doctor used forged prescriptions to obtain sleeping disorder drugs, a court heard.

Mustapha Tahir, who used to practise at The Shrubbery surgery in Northfleet and Riverview Park surgery, is alleged to have twice handed over prescriptions for differing amounts of the drug, Modofinil.

Each time it had been purportedly written and signed by one of Tahir's former colleagues, Dr Bayonle Bello, and in the names of two patients at the surgeries.

But a jury at Maidstone Crown Court was told one of the names had been misspelt while the other was not a patient of Dr Bello's.

After staff at The Shrubbery were alerted by a concerned pharmacist, it was discovered that a prescription pad belonging to Dr Bello had gone missing from a locked cabinet.

One was later found at the home of Tahir in Wentworth Close, Gravesend, as well as 97 Modofinil tablets.

However, following his arrest the 52-year-old told police the allegations had stemmed from "animosity" between himself and his former colleagues following the termination of his partnership earlier that year and subsequent litigation.

Tahir denies two charges of using a false instrument with intent on July 25 last year.

He is accused of presenting a prescription at each of two branches of Boots in London within hours of each other.

One was for 180 Modofinil tablets at a strength of 100mlg, worth £900, and the second was also for 180 tablets but of 200mlg strength and worth £1,000.

Prosecutor Suzanne Crane told the jury of six men and six women that Modofinil is often used to treat sleep disorders and help people stay awake.

She said Tahir had joined the practice in 2002 and was one of six partners.

However, he was suspended from both surgeries in August 2011 following complaints concerning his professional conduct, and his partnership was subsequently terminated in February 2012.

In July a prescription was handed in to a Boots pharmacy in Gloucester Road, London, and then to one in Earls Court.

Miss Crane said the pharmacist was concerned as it was for an "unusually high" amount, and one they did not have.

But she told the person presenting it to call back for the medication.

However, the pharmacist discovered the following day that a similar request had been made to a colleague at the Earls Court branch.

“When they checked the prescription it had also been issued from The Shrubbery surgery in the name of Dr Bello,” explained Miss Crane. “All that was different was the name of the patient.”

Miss Crane said their descriptions of the person handing over the prescriptions also matched.

The surgery was contacted and when a copy of the first prescription was faxed over, the practice manager “immediately” recognised the writing of Tahir, added the prosecutor.

“The prosecution say the person presenting these prescriptions was Dr Tahir” - prosecutor Suzanne Crane

“She confirmed this with Dr Bello, who confirmed it was not his writing, not his signature and he had not made out a prescription for a Mr Rahman.”

The writing on the second prescription was also identified as Tahir’s, the court was told, and Dr Bello again confirmed he had neither written nor signed it.

“The prosecution say the person presenting these prescriptions was Dr Tahir,” added Miss Crane.

Following his arrest in September, police found not only Dr Bello’s prescription pad and the medication at his home, but also the names and addresses of the two patients whose details had been used as well as references on an iPhone which read: “Mod buy 180 gl road”.

The prosecutor said Tahir “mainly” answered no comment to questions from police but did say GPs often used each other’s pads.

The drugs, he said, were his and had been bought on a private prescription for his ailing mother who lived in Africa.

He then gave a brief statement in which he claimed there had been a “misunderstanding”.

“He said that there was an on-going claim against the partners and these accusations may have stemmed from the animosity that existed between the partners and himself over his expulsion,” added Miss Crane.

The trial is expected to end this week.